"Yes, that's right. Last time, the Underworld was breached by the powerful monks of Thunderclap Temple, and Stone Ancestor escaped. He was truly fortunate."
Hearing the words of the Yun Clan elder, Cloud True Immortal's expression darkened slightly, and he pressed for an answer:
What did he do after he came back?
"As soon as the Stone Ancestor returned, he stopped the Lu Clan from indiscriminately killing innocent people..." Although the Yun Clan elder was somewhat confused, he still reported the recent events to Cloud True Immortal in detail.
"You mean, Shi Nandang not only turned against the Lu Clan, but also entered the Nine Luminaries Heaven?"
"Yes!"
Cloud True Immortal remained silent, seemingly deep in thought, while the Yun and Luo clans members in the hall exchanged glances silently, their expressions a mixture of anxiety and hesitation.
Yun Fan of the Yun Clan gritted his teeth and spoke, " Holy Ancestor."
"Hmm?" Cloud True Immortal snapped out of his daze, looked at Yun Fan, and said with a slight surprise, "You've achieved Corpse Liberation?"
"Yes."
"Excellent!" A smile finally appeared on Cloud True Immortal's face. This was probably the first and only piece of good news he had heard since returning to Vast Sun Mountain. "After so many years of wasted time, you've finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel."
" Holy Ancestor, my disciple's Corpse Liberation was due to the Stone Ancestor."
"..."
Cloud True Immortal narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the Nascent Spirit Transformation inside the hall.
These Spirit Transformation were people he trusted implicitly, yet some of them were bowing their heads, seemingly afraid to look at him, their posture revealing both guilt and stubbornness.
Cloud True Immortal looked at Yun Fan at the front and asked in a cold voice, "What do you want to say?"
"I..." Yun Fan gritted his teeth and said, "This disciple begs the Holy Ancestor not to doubt those who should not be doubted."
"Presumptuous!"
Cloud True Immortal let out a cold shout, Yun Fan flew backward, crashing onto the jade steps outside the Three Palaces Hall. He rolled and groaned, spitting blood from his mouth.
Blood flowed down the steps, one step at a time, like a small waterfall.
Inside the Three Palaces Hall, everyone else remained completely silent, not even a whisper could be heard.
Cloud True Immortal took two deep breaths, waved his hand, and Yun Fan's body flew back again, crashing into the hall with a thud.
"Whether Shi Nandang is truly suspicious, I don't know yet." Cloud True Immortal stared at the prone Yun Fan and sneered, "But you, you've already harbored rebellious thoughts!"
"As long as... as long as the Holy Ancestor and the Stone Ancestor are in harmony."
Yun Fan answered haltingly.
"You're such a loyal dog, Shi Nandang!"
"Disciple... disciple is not doing this for Stone Ancestor." Yun Fan raised his head, staring at Cloud True Immortal with surprising stubbornness, "But for myself, for my Yun Clan, and for you, Holy Ancestor."
Cloud True Immortal stared at him and actually laughed, "For me? You traitor, you dare to say it's for me?"
"Although I have received great kindness from Stone Ancestor, achieving Corpse Liberation and now becoming the master of Thousand Wonders Peak," Yun Fan said weakly, "I grew up in the clan since childhood, and the Holy Ancestor has always guided me. In terms of gratitude, the Holy Ancestor to me is far greater than that of the Stone Ancestor?"
His tone was mournful, and Cloud True Immortal's expression softened slightly. Yun Fan continued, "Has the Holy Ancestor ever considered what our Yun Clan would be like now if the Stone Ancestor had not returned?"
Cloud True Immortal opened his mouth, but suddenly realized that he found it difficult to answer the question.
What will it be like?
The Lu Clan was nearly driven mad. If it weren't for Shi Nandang's deterrent, the Luo Clan would probably have been mostly devoured by insects, and the Yun Clan would have suffered a severe blow.
Given the Lu Clan's past actions and the Gu God's greed, the scene he would see upon his return would be ten times more tragic than it is now.
Seeing that Cloud True Immortal remained silent, Yun Fan continued, "If it weren't for Stone Ancestor, my Vast Sun Mountain would be..."
"Enough!" Cloud True Immortal's face darkened as he shouted, "You only know he's Shi Nandang? Do you know what his purpose was in going to Vast Sun Mountain?"
Yun Fan was stunned.
Even the others in the hall couldn't help but start buzzing with discussion, clearly frightened by Cloud True Immortal's words.
Yun Fan murmured softly, still incredulous. "No, not Stone Ancestor?"
"Ha, who is this person? Entering my Vast Sun Mountain, he's clearly up to no good," Cloud True Immortal cursed. "You're all so blind and incompetent, yet you dare to speak up for him?"
Yun Fan remained silent for a long while. Just when Cloud True Immortal thought he was speechless, he suddenly asked, "A treacherous spy with ulterior motives has been a hundred times more benevolent to my Yun Clan than to the Lu Clan."
"..."
"A spy, guiding my cultivation, quelling the turmoil within the sect, and protecting the lives of my disciples." Yun Fan looked at Cloud True Immortal, his voice growing louder, "Who is the real spy for Vast Sun Mountain, him or the Lu Clan!"
Cloud True Immortal suddenly realized that he was the one who was speechless.
What made him frown even more was that even though he had pointed out the doubts about Shi Nandang's identity, half of the people in the hall seemed to agree with Yun Fan's words.
" Yun Fan! Don't forget your identity as a disciple of Vast Sun Mountain!"
"It is precisely because I remember! Without the Stone Ancestor, this 'outsider,' my Yun Clan would have been wiped out long ago, and Vast Sun Mountain would have become a den of insects!"
Cloud True Immortal looked at Yun Fan, whose face was covered in blood and grime, his complexion as pale as gold paper, his breath weak, yet his voice was strong and his tone resolute.
Seeing that he remained silent, Yun Fan continued, " Holy Ancestor, given the current situation in Xuanwei, it's difficult for either Vast Sun Mountain or the Yun Clan to remain unaffected..."
These words truly struck a chord with Cloud True Immortal. Upon hearing about the current situation of Xuanwei, he knew that Vast Sun Mountain was in serious trouble—he was the only True Immortal in the entire sect, far inferior to even the Azure Abyss Dragon Palace.
If they ever want to flaunt the power of the Four Sects of Xuanwei again, they're dreaming.
What are you trying to say?
Yun Fan lowered his eyes and said softly, "This disciple does not believe in the Lu Clan, nor does he believe in the Devil Ancestor."
"..."
Cloud True Immortal pursed her lips, her heart surging with turbulent waves.
Has Yun Fan's resentment towards the Lu Clan reached such a level?
What he meant was that whoever Shi Nandang was was better than choosing the Lu Clan?
But when he looked at the others in the hall, his eyes paused. Most of the Spirit Transformation were deep in thought, following Yun Fan's words, and a few even nodded in agreement.
That Shi Nandang, who appeared out of nowhere, had unknowingly won over so many people's hearts, and even had more influence than the Holy Ancestor himself?
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and looked at Yun Fan: "I understand what you're saying."
" Holy Ancestor."
Cloud True Immortal raised her hand, "I know you are sincere, get up."
"Thank you, Holy Ancestor." Yun Fan stood up, his face beaming with joy. "Holy Ancestor is wise!"
The atmosphere in the hall relaxed, and Cloud True Immortal's lips curled up slightly, her expression becoming even more gentle.
Beneath the golden summit of Vast Sun Mountain, amidst the inverted Origin Venerable Peak, the figure of Cloud True Immortal flashed out.
"Yun Zu!"
The Lu Clan stationed there were in complete disarray, staring at Cloud True Immortal outside the altar with fear on their faces.
They had assumed that this place was the center of the great formation, and that they would be safe and sound within it. However, they never expected that Cloud True Immortal would enter so easily and silently, without the great formation even reacting.
Cloud True Immortal ignored everyone else and focused his gaze on Shi Nandang's master's face, slowly lowering it in front of him.
"Yun... Yun Zu."
"Are you in charge here?"
"Yes!"
Shi Nandang, the master, gritted his teeth and said.
He originally held a high position in the clan, but he was blind to the potential of taking in a wicked disciple, and as a result, he was excluded from the Nine Luminaries Heaven this time.
However, he was highly skilled and of pure blood, which allowed him to take charge of the altar, receive the Grand Elder and others, and preserve the vitality of the Lu Clan.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Yun Zu returned, he went straight to Origin Venerable Peak, and now everything is over!
Master Shi Nandang's face turned ashen, filled with despair. But Cloud True Immortal's words caught him off guard. "Let me ask you, when did you accept Shi Nandang as your disciple?"
"Stone... Shi Nandang? Why does Ancestor Yun know about this?"
"Answer my question!"
"This disciple was from over eleven thousand years ago..."
Master Shi Nandang hurriedly said, "Back then Shi Nandang was quite filial and respectful, who would have thought that now..."
Cloud True Immortal nodded slightly and said, "So, back then, Shi Nandang didn't have such formidable strength as he does now, and couldn't have achieved near-invincibility among his peers?"
"This disciple certainly has talent," Master Shi Nandang said in a low voice. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have valued him back then. But to say he's unparalleled among his peers... that's something I truly didn't expect."
"That one person can rival the strength of ten Nascent Spirit Transformation..."
You couldn't tell at all in her early years.
Cloud True Immortal nodded slowly, then heard Shi Nandang's master say, "Actually, I've thought about that too. This disciple must have had some extraordinary adventures."
"A serendipitous encounter?"
"It might even have been when he went to the Hundred Immortals Alliance," Shi Nandang said, his eyes lowered. "Back then, he went to the Hundred Immortals Alliance to help the Profound Mystery Sect, but he lost the Immortal-Trapping Sword and disappeared for a while."
You mean...?
"Master Yun, this person must have received some great fortuitous opportunity to achieve what he has today..."
"Idiot!"
Shi Nandang, the master, was taken aback.
"Even now, all you're thinking about is provoking me to seize that Shi Nandang fortuitous opportunity!"
"Disciple, disciple..."
Cloud True Immortal was so angry he almost laughed, "Is Shi Nandang Shi Nandang? How can you, as his master, not have a single doubt?"
Master Shi Nandang gaped, his eyes wide, and it took him a long time to react. "Not Shi Nandang?"
His expression shifted several times, then he suddenly whispered, "That's it, this wicked disciple's temperament has changed too. But back then, he acted completely normal, and he knew everything about my Vast Sun Mountain and the Lu Clan, so I didn't think much of it!"
Seeing that Cloud True Immortal's expression had become even more unpleasant, and Master Shi Nandang's face was even more mournful, he exclaimed, "I only thought I had misjudged people; this Shi Nandang a man of deep cunning!"
You're blind!
"Not good!" Shi Nandang immediately realized, "That scoundrel has entered the Nine Luminaries Heaven! He's after the Holy Ancestor Relic!"
"Now you know! If you lose the Nine Luminaries Heaven Treasure, let's see how you can bear the consequences."
"Yun Zu, what should we do?!"
Cloud True Immortal looked at the remains of the Original Devil Ancestor and asked, "Can the Nine Luminaries Heaven still be opened?"
"No, once the ceremony begins, we are powerless to control it. The Nine Luminaries Heaven can only be reopened at the end of the ceremony by our combined efforts with the Grand Elder."
Cloud True Immortal shook his head and asked again, "Who went in?"
Shi Nandang reported to each of them one by one.
"With the White Lotus Saint Monk, the Golden-Winged Great Peng, and the three Devil Ancestor," Cloud True Immortal said, somewhat relieved. "With Shi Nandang inside, he shouldn't be able to cause any trouble."
Shi Nandang, the master, breathed a sigh of relief.
"But we must be wary! This man has been scheming; he must have something to rely on," Cloud True Immortal said coldly. "If he obtains the Nine Luminaries Heaven Treasure, we must not let him escape!"
"Yes!" Master Shi Nandang replied first, then asked, "But how can we stop him from escaping?"
Suddenly, Cloud True Immortal stretched out his right hand, and the upside-down Origin Venerable Peak began to sway from side to side like a pendulum, causing everyone to stumble and look around in fear.
A crimson beam of light shot out from the mountainside and landed in the palm of Cloud True Immortal.
" The Sun-Shooting Divine Bow!"
Master Shi Nandang stared wide-eyed at the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow lying obediently in the palm of Cloud True Immortal, and cold sweat poured down his back.
This Sun-Shooting Divine Skill is the core of the Golden Sun Burning-Heaven Formation. The Lu Clan has always regarded it as their greatest trump card. However, they never expected that the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow had already been refined by Cloud True Immortal!
Cloud True Immortal glanced at him and sneered, "Why do you think the First Ancestor entrusted Vast Sun Mountain to me?"
"..."
Master Shi Nandang opened his mouth, then murmured, "Why...?"
"I was also surnamed Lu in my early years," Cloud True Immortal said with a smile, stroking the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow. "I was a direct descendant of the Lu Clan. Later, after achieving the Dao Fruit, my branch established its own sect, and because of the characteristics of our Cultivation Method, we took Yun as our surname."
"Yun Zu!"
Upon hearing this, Master Shi Nandang immediately became agitated and choked up, saying, "I thought... I thought that with the return of Ancestor Yun, we wouldn't even be able to survive."
"Shut up!" Cloud True Immortal cursed, then added, "I'll allocate the resources; you arrange the setup of the Golden Sun Burning-Heaven Formation."
A look of doubt flashed across Shi Nandang Nandang's face.
"The situation in the Nine Luminaries Heaven is unclear. This Golden Sun Burning-Heaven Formation is a secret passed down by the First Ancestor. If I activate the formation, it will be enough to contend with Golden Immortal!"
" Golden Immortal?"
Cloud True Immortal nodded, his voice cold. "The world only thinks that Vast Sun Mountain has declined, and even that there are disloyalties within the sect... But as one of the Four Sects, how can others imagine the depth and foundation of Vast Sun Mountain?"
" Shi Nandang, the Nine Mountains Sect, they have provoked Vast Sun Mountain, and they are courting their own destruction."
Master Shi Nandang trembled with joy. "Once Shi Nandang leaves the Nine Luminaries Heaven, we'll shoot him dead with an arrow! After dealing with Shi Nandang, we'll go and destroy the Nine Mountains Sect!"
"Only one thing!" Cloud True Immortal said coldly, " Vast Sun Mountain likely already has spies from the Nine Mountains Sect!"
Below the altar, several figures froze.
"A spy!"
Cloud True Immortal gripped the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow in his hand, his expression somber. "Many within the Yun and Luo clans have already turned their hearts towards Shi Nandang."
" Yun Clan... why doesn't the Yun Ancestor just clean house?"
"The situation in the Nine Luminaries Heaven is unclear; we mustn't let Shi Nandang become wary." Cloud True Immortal shook his head, then added, "Moreover, this Shi Nandang is likely connected to the Nine Mountains Sect."
Shi Nandang exclaimed with sudden realization, "That's it! He was at the Hundred Immortals Alliance during the time he was missing!"
"I think if the Nine Mountains Sect is prepared, this great formation will be difficult to achieve its purpose!" Cloud True Immortal instructed. "Do not tell anyone! This matter can only be known to the Lu Clan."
Master Shi Nandang patted his chest and said, "Ancestor Yun, rest assured, these are all the most direct descendants of our Lu Clan, and they are sworn enemies of Shi Nandang!"
Cloud True Immortal glanced around at the Lu Clan below the altar, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over " Lu Yan," and slowly nodded.
(End of this chapter)